The determination to travel can push people to find out-of-the-box solutions, even if rising gas prices become a global challenge for many. That is what one man from Florida did to travel across the country in a cabin on two wheels, shaped in the form of his favorite fruit.
Andrew Glubbey gathered some wood and aluminum tins to make a giant pear and fixed it around his scooter to protect him from the elements while also providing extra storage space for his cross-country trip.
This is not Glubbey’s first trip across the country. He did it with his friends in a minivan last year. While the young traveler was inclined to do the trip in his own bus this year, the rising fuel prices motivated him to look for a more cost-effective way to travel.
Glubbey, who is a sculptor, states on his Instagram account that he is traveling from Florida to Washington. However, a report from Road & Track confirms that he is traveling from Florida to the Pacific Northwest coast.
Glubbey Thinks the Pear is the Funniest-Looking Fruit
In the interview with Road & Track, Glubbey revealed the inspiration behind creating a pear cabin around his Genuine Hooligan 170cc scooter, which sort of became his identity on the trip. He said:
“I really love the shape. I’ve always loved just eating pears. It’s like an apple with a little head on it. It’s one of the funniest-looking fruits, and I think it’s a very happy shape. It’s voluptuous, and it’s smiling.
“I’ve done pear sculptures in the past. People loved them, and I thought it was a really fun shape to make. It fit perfectly on the bike, and there’s enough space for storage inside the pear as well, without having saddlebags on the outside of the sculpture.”
The plan is to ride 3,100 miles, heading north from Merritt Island, Florida, toward Georgia, and travel through as many cities as possible before reaching the Pacific coast.
Getting Dirty During the Trip Didn’t Bother Glubbey, But High Fuel Prices Did
Glubbey revealed that the increasing gas prices pushed him to explore a cheaper way to travel, mentioning that getting dirty and wet on the scooter does not bother him too much. He said:
“Honestly, it started out just wanting to save on gas. I have a bus out in Florida, and I wanted to travel. I was doing the math on how much it would cost to get up to Washington in the bus. Out on the West Coast, it’s probably $6 to $7 a gallon of gas.
“It would cost me probably close to $3000 to get there and back. I was like, there must be a better way. And I’m not afraid of getting a little dirty and a little wet.”
Despite the 55-mph top speed, Glubbey is enjoying the adventure he has embarked upon and hopes to inspire other travelers to travel the same way. He added:
“I was kind of surprised by how easy this pear is to drive on two wheels, and I hope to inspire other people to do the same thing on a motorcycle. It’s easier to go from city to city, and take a break in the city. With motorcycles, it’s a lot harder to just keep driving and driving and driving, because it’s just a lot more work.
“I really enjoy the motorcycle, because you don’t have to really modify the bike at all. And you have so much space to work with. Obviously, you can only do so much on a motorcycle, because you have to lean. So the sides have to be high enough off the ground, so when you’re at an angle it doesn’t scrape.”
“It’s Been the Most Friendly Car”
Glubbey admitted that he has had negative experiences during his past travels, but with his pear-shaped ride this year, he has received friendly reactions from people despite its modest speed. He said:
“I’ve pretty much only gotten really good reactions from this particular vehicle. I’ve driven a lot of crazy vehicles before, and especially when you’re going slow, it’ll piss people off.
“People will flip you off. I’ve even gotten DMs from people just saying some nasty stuff. This one, I’m going slow, and when people pass me, they’ll give me a thumbs up, or a friendly honk, or whatever. It’s been the most friendly car to drive around that I’ve sculpted on.”